Posted on 07/15/2005 11:29:25 AM PDT by nypokerface
JACKSON, Miss. - A Christian adoption agency that receives money from Choose Life license plate fees said it does not place children with Roman Catholic couples because their religion conflicts with the agency's "Statement of Faith."
Bethany Christian Services stated the policy in a letter to a Jackson couple this month, and another Mississippi couple said they were rejected for the same reason last year.
"It has been our understanding that Catholicism does not agree with our Statement of Faith," Bethany director Karen Stewart wrote. "Our practice to not accept applications from Catholics was an effort to be good stewards of an adoptive applicant's time, money and emotional energy."
Sandy and Robert Steadman, who learned of Bethany's decision in a July 8 letter, said their priest told them the faith statement did not conflict with Catholic teaching.
Loria Williams of nearby Ridgeland said she and her husband, Wes, had a similar experience when they started to pursue an adoption in September 2004.
"I can't believe an agency that's nationwide would act like this," Loria Williams said. "There was an agency who was Christian based but wasn't willing to help people across the board."
The agency is based in Grand Rapids, Mich., and has offices in 30 states, including three in Mississippi. Its Web site does not refer to any specific branch of Christianity.
Stewart told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger that the board will review its policy, but she didn't specify which aspects will be addressed.
The Web site says all Bethany staff and adoptive applicants personally agree with the faith statement, which describes belief in the Christian Church and the Scripture.
"As the Savior, Jesus takes away the sins of the world," the statement says in part. "Jesus is the one in whom we are called to put our hope, our only hope for forgiveness of sin and for reconciliation with God and with one another."
Sandy Steadman said she was hurt and disappointed that Bethany received funds from the Choose Life car license plates. "I know of a lot of Catholics who get those tags," she said.
She added: "If it's OK to accept our money, it should be OK to open your home to us as a family."
Bethany is one of 24 adoption and pregnancy counseling centers in Mississippi that receives money from the sale of Choose Life tags, a special plate that motorists can obtain with an extra fee.
Of $244,000 generated by the sale of the tags in 2004, Bethany received $7,053, said Geraldine Gray, treasurer of Choose Life Mississippi, which distributes the money.
"It is troubling to me if they are discriminating based on only the Catholics," Gray said.
But, of course, I have never bashed Catholics.
Not once.
"If Unitarianism is the one true faith, I'll eat my hat." - Homer J. Simpson ;-)
You'll have to excuse me, but that's a distinction that a non-Catholic is going to scratch his head over.
In the Orthodox vernacular, we'd say that only God is worshipped, thereby using that word to represent the highest homage that a human can give.
Just a question to any Catholics on the board. Are there RC based adoption agencies that have statements of faith? If so, how would they handle a request from someone who does not adhere to their statement of faith?
No ...
After reading this back and forth, it is easy to understand why the 1980 census recorded over 25,000+ different denominations of Christianity worldwide.
The blind leading the blind.
Only humility will teach Roman Catholics and Protestants how to get along (and this will have to come long before scripture will ever be revealed [even though both believe by pride they do]).
Rome has a pope for the masses, and the masses (Protestants) have all become popes. The former interprets scripture alone, tells others what to do, and excommunicates all those that disagree. The latter interprets scripture alone, lives according to that interpretation, and considers all others outside that belief as unsaved (same as excommunicated).
49 a.d. The Apostolic Council in Jerusalem. There was no Pope, only believers coming together in an Ecumenical sense and coming to agreement on issues as guided by the Holy Spirit. No individual was a Pope, and no Pope oversaw over all in Jerusalem. For the first 1000 years of the church this was the way it was done. Ecumenical Councils that came together, passionately, lead by the Holy Spirit, yet each person in humility, knowing that their sins clouded their interpretation.
There needs to be a revival of humility and unity that was lost after 1054 a.d. This was the year the Bishop of Rome excommunicated the other four existing Bishops of the time. These Bishops (now know as Eastern Orthodoxy) were excommunicated when they informed the Roman Bishop that he could not change scripture. There were other issues as well that I won’t go into.
Since that period of time, based on the many erroneous reasons for that action, those actions introduced theological errors in Rome that snowballed into complete disunity within the west (Rome and all the following Protestant schisms). Martin Luther dissented, and within his lifetime, hundreds of others followed suit either away from Roman Catholicism or away from their own temporal schisms, many times in prideful bloody wars. But today, most Protestant denomination can find its roots down this tree of 25,000+ branches to 1054 a.d. when the church was One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Others have even deeper roots down to a period of time prior to 1054 a.d. when the Church spoke with one voice to defend the faith against all heresies.
Interestingly enough, even Martin Luther wrote the Patriarch of Constantinople after separating from Rome and wanted to return to Christianities roots, however, Roman Doctrine was still deeply ingrained in the many generations separated from the Orthodoxy that some of the concepts were difficult to understand through the bias of his life’s experiences. Most of these difference where small, but from an outsiders perspective, insurmountable. For example: Was the Patriarch of Constantinople just another Pope with a different name? (the answer of which is no).
Today, Eastern Orthodox maintains that the whole of the Church is in schism, and that we are all brothers and sisters in schism, lacking the humility to seek unity and reconciliation. For this reason, and until the church is united again, the Eastern Orthodox Church does not recognize any Ecumenical Councils (nor has it held any of it own) after 1054 a.d. since it does not represent the whole body of Christ (and believes that no one man can speak for the whole Church [and equally that no one man can through their own sinful understandings know the meaning of scripture]), yet it maintains at the same time the true faith as handed down from Christ to the Apostles and to the Church (as understood through the Ecumenical Councils held by the entire body of Christ).
What is truly interesting for those that have any understanding of scripture, is that the critical text of the virgin birth of Christ is only found in the LXX (I’m talking about from a universe of manuscripts that most modern translations are created from [for those that think ancient is reformation, or even Vulgate, you need to step back a few more centuries]). Even the Apostles quoted in the NT from the LXX. What is interesting is the LXX is recognized only by the Orthodox Church as the authoritative translation of the OT. Without the LXX, much of Christian theology fails.
This Posting concerning adoption is only an eventual symptom of a far greater problem introduced in the Great Schism of 1045 a.d. Until Christians truly return to unity, which will require humility (not reformation or modernization), we will only mimic the world of discord and be lukewarm (no matter how hot or cold we think we are).
Well, if you're ever out my way I'll introduce you to my ex-mother-in-law who has a 4 foot statue of the Blessed Virgin(the Miraculous medal one) in the dining room, is a member of the Legion of Mary, and has a grotto with our Lady of Fatima statue in her garden, and I could go on. She prays to Mary every day. Many of her friends do the same.
So if Paul’s statement in Romans 3 includes an exception for the New Adam (Jesus), one may argue that an exception for the New Eve (Mary) can also be made.
I don't think so. Jesus is of quite different essence than Mary.
Sorry, I do think the crowning of Mary is weird.
That is her opinion, not Church doctrine.
And the description of Catholic beliefs in your post is erroneous.
-------------------------------------------------
Gee, did I say you did?
Well, it seems that the Lutheran Church would know why it's different from the Catholic. It did afterall break away directly from the Catholic Church.
When your son is King, you are generally a queen.
Did you know that there was a move in the church in the 90's to do just that? Did you know that Jesuit priests led a revolt to stop it all very quietly? I'm not going to give you names etc. Religion has nasty consequences. It is nothing more than man's attempt to add to the message and Truth. You know we kind of have a habit of doing those things? (speaking from experience)
Hail Mary, pray for our sinners, ... Do you really think Mary is in heaven praying for sinners? Intercession happens here, and before the throne. There is no theological support for any intervention by any soul that reaches the other side.
Sorry, It's in your prayers, it's in your cathechism, it's all over. If you don't think so, what else do you not know about the positions of the church? St. Aloysius first through sixth grade. Baton Rouge, LA.
As a matter of your persepective, that may seem like worship to you. To your perspective, only God should be "prayed to." I have a feeling, however, that your ex-mother-in-law, along with those like her, will tell you that Mary does nothing by herself. She doesn't have divine powers. She is still a creature. All is accomplished with God.
Catholics are most definitely Christians. However, this particular PRIVATE agency has a statement of faith and apparently will not place children with anyone who does not agree with their statement of faith. Whether we like it or not, they are a private group, and so, they have that right.
Catholics are most definitely Christians. However, this particular PRIVATE agency has a statement of faith and apparently will not place children with anyone who does not agree with their statement of faith. Whether we like it or not, they are a private group, and so, they have that right.
Not sure if this has been posted or not. But here are their statements of faith that might contradict their teachings; followed by what Catholics believe.
#1) I believe that God, by His grace, provided redemption and restoration in Jesus Christ for all who repent and believe. As the Savior, Jesus takes away the sins of the world. Jesus is the one in whom we are called to put our hope, our only hope for forgiveness of sin and for reconciliation with God and with one another.
Catholics believe in the Sacrament of Penance (often called Confession).
#2) I believe that in all matters of faith and life, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the final authority. The Scriptures point us with full reliability to Jesus, God’s Son. The Scriptures tell us that we receive forgiveness of sins by faith in Jesus Christ, and that God provides salvation by grace alone for those who repent and believe.
Catholics believe that Scripture and Tradition are co-equal.
>>Well, if you're ever out my way I'll introduce you to my ex-mother-in-law who has a 4 foot statue of the Blessed Virgin(the Miraculous medal one) in the dining room, is a member of the Legion of Mary, and has a grotto with our Lady of Fatima statue in her garden, and I could go on. She prays to Mary every day. Many of her friends do the same.<<<
LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!
Oh my Good God!
And you actually believe that this indicates that she worships Mary?
Have you read the Mission statement for the Legion of Mary?
Intercession, is the key word.
Check this out...
Hail Mary
Full of Grace the Lord is with Thee
Blessed art thou amoungst women and Blessed is the Fruit of Thy womb Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God
PRAY FOR us sinners........Amen.
Notice the PRAY FOR?!?
Not have Mercy on us.
You have no clue what you are talking about.
Remember, if you ask someone to pray for you, it means that you think that they are actually God.
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